A 9-year-old arrested; accused of threatening a cashier with a knife

An accused pint-sized criminal with a sweet tooth. A 9-year-old was arrested in Kalihi, police say, for trying to rob a Chevron for ice cream.

On Wednesday morning, police arrested a 9-year-old boy after they say he threatened a cashier with a knife.

"That's pretty crazy for a 9-year-old to do something like that," said Quentin Kepano, grandfather of a student at Fern Elementary.

It was all for some ice cream. Investigators said the boy opened the freezer but found it empty. A source told us when the cashier asked the boy what he planned to do the boy said, "If you try to stop me, I'll stab you."

Concerned for children at nearby Fern elementary, where the boy himself is a student, the cashier called 911. The boy was arrested, and is now being investigated for first-degree robbery -- a felony that carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

"For me as a parent if that was my child, he would be disciplined, disciplined by me," said Lydia Marfil grandmother of a student at Fern elementary.

Parents we spoke to said it may teach the child an important lesson.

"Being arrested for what he did maybe it will kind of make him take a look at what's going on what he's doing," said Kepano.

KITV4 News spoke with the boy's mother who said, "He's a good kid."

The boy was released as police continue their investigation.

We've been told that there were surveillance cameras that caught the conflict.

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